Solderless connector



SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR Filed Nov. 8, 1938 INVENTOR Czar/es Bay ATTORNEY 40In Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing the connector P........1M...1z,194o 42,193,442

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR Charles A. Bay,Morristown, N. J., assignor to Metropolitan Device Corporation, acorporation of New York J Application November M1938, Serial No. 239,438

1 Claim. (Cl. 24-125) The invention herein disclosed relates to aconthreads 40 that engage the threads of the clampnector for connectingelectrical conductors and ing screw 1.

more particularly to a solderless connector in The arms 5 and 6 are bentto extend from the which the two conductors to be .electrically conheadin the same direction and parallel to the 5 nected are mechanicallyclamped together. axis of the hole through the head. These arms 5Various attempts have heretofore been made extend from diagonallyopposite sections of the to provide a wire clamp of this type. But suchhead so that they are spaced apart in two direc-- wire clamps as havebeen suggested are made from tions at right angles to each other. Thearm 5 forgings, castings or bar stock and commonly em-' has at itsextremity an arcuate hook-shaped sec- 10 ploy some form of contactblock. Such connectors tion Sa and the arm 6 has a similar section 6a.10 are accordingly expensive to manufacture and These hook-shapedsections extend in opposite are not as convenient in use as is desired.directions. The metal. at the hook-shaped sec- An object of thisinvention is to provide a tionsis extruded and forms surfaces curvedtranssolderless .connector of this type that is conversely and free fromsharp edges as clearly illusstructed from a single strip of metal, thatis trated in Fig. 2. The distance between the arms 15 sturdy and capableof withstanding rough usage, is made equal to the pitch diameter of thescrew and that is readily and easily applied in connect- I so that whenthe head is tapped, threads are ing two conductors together. This isrealized in also formed in the sides or arms. Additional accordance withthis invention by providing a length of thread contact is thus provided.

connector that includes a head having a threaded In applying theconnector, the clamping screw 20 opening therethrough to receive aclamping screw 1 is backed oil to allow ample room for the hookand twosubstantially parallel arms extending shaped sections 5a. and 6a of thearms 5 and 6 'from the head. The arms of the connector are to pass underthe conductors. The connector is spaced apart and extend from the headsubstanpositioned with these hook-shaped sections paraltially parallelto the axis of theopening through lel to the axis of the conductor l andthe con- 25 the head. The arms have oppositely directed nector is thenplaced over the conductor so that openings to receive the conductors,and the it is embraced by the arms of the connector. Next clamping screwclamps the two conductors .tothe connector is turned about the axis ofthe hole gether. through the head in a direction to cause the oppo- Sucha connector is illustrated in the accomsitely extending hook-shapedsections of the arms 30 panying drawing in which: 5 and 6 to pass underthe conductor. The con- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the connector; ductor 2may then be inserted to lie in the hook- Fig. .2 is a longitudinalsection of the same shaped sections of the arms and the clamping takenon the line 2-2 of Figl 1; screw is tightened to clamp the conductorsto- Fig. 3 is an end elevation oithe same taken gether. With a strandedconductor, such as the 35 from the plane indicated'by the line 3-3 onFig. conductor 2, the clamping action of the screw 1 2; and causes thestrands to spread as shown. In re- Fig. 4 is an end elevation of thesame similar moving th connector, the clamping screw is to backed offand the conductor 2 removed. The

is shown as it is applied to effect an electrical eFi.1niltharms5nd6li,n connection between two stranded conductors l 8 enin g u t e a e o e on and 2. In Fig 4 the connector is illustrated aseach side of the conductor I when the connector it is applied to efiectan electrical connection bemay be removed When the connector is usedwith a solid conmay? stranded conductor I and sohd ductor such as theconductor 3, the solid co'n The connector isgconstructed from a singleductor is preferably placed, dirfectly beneath the heavy strip of metaland consists 'of a head 4, two clamping screw as shown The Shapesubstantially parallel arms 5 and 6 a d clamp.. of the head of theconnector is such that the coning screw 1. In construction, the strip isfirst ductor is bent on leaving the head in an arc of 50 blanked out toobtain the proper configuration. appropriate radius and there are nosharp edges In making the hole 4a through the head 4, the engaging theconductor. metal of the strip is extruded. In this way a cir- From theforegoing descriptionpf the embodicumferential flange 4b is providedabout the ment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, I openingsand provides additional length for it will be seen that there isprovided by this inven- 55 connector is then turned counter-clockwise asQ tion a connector that is inexpensive to manufacture and that isreliable in service.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made by those skilled inthe art in the details of the embodiment of the invention as illustratedin the drawing and described above within the prinopening therethrough,the axis of which opening is parallel to said parallel arms and midwaybetween the arms and the pitch diameter of which is substantially equalto the distance between the arms, the arms having oppositely directedhookshaped end sections and the metal thereof extruded outwardly andtransversely curved at the hook-shaped sections, and a clamping screwthreaded in the hole through the head, whereby two wires within theconnector are clamped together between the screw pressing directly onone and the oppositely directed hook-shaped end sections of the armsengaging the other.

CHARLES A. BAY. w

